Literature holder



June 21, 1966 R. SRIGLEY ETAL 3,256,978

LITERATURE HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 11, 1962 INVENTORS FRANK E. BROWN & LflAND R. SRIGLEY ATTORNEYS June 21, 1966 L. R. SRIGLEY ETAL 3,256,978

' LITERATURE momma 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 11, 1962 F16. IO

| lllllllllllllll FRANK E. 5 2M5 6 fiFLAND R. SRIeLEY ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,256,978 LITERATURE HOLDER Leland R. Srigley, Grosse Pointe Park, Mich., and Frank E. Brown, Burbank, Calif., assignors to Parke, Davis & Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed July 11, 1962, Ser. No. 209,046 19 Claims. (Cl. 20647) This invention relates to packaging devices and in particular to a literature holder for use with containers, such as vials, bottles, and the like.

In the sale of proprietary drug items, it is necessary in some instances to include in the packaged medicine considerable information, more than can be printed on a small slip of paper, with the result that the literature that must accompany each such package of medicine is sometimes relatively bulky. This problem of bulky literature is particularly troublesome'in connection with bottles, vials, and the like which for one reason or another must be stored and distributed together with similar bottles, vials, etc. in a single shipping box, as-distinguished from bottles or vials which are packaged each in its individual carton. Thus, there is a need, particularly in the drug industry, for a packaging device which can retain bulky literature and which can be attached directly to the bottle, vial or the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a literature holder for containers, such as vials, bottles, and the like that attaches directly to the container; that can hold bulky literature; that can be produced and assembled on the container economically; and that can be embodied in various forms so as to be adapted to differentially shaped containers.

The literature holder of this invention comprises a pair of spaced resilient sleeves fitting one within the other and having one end of each sleeve interconnected, the, other ends of the sleeves being open so as to form a cavity between the sleeves for accommodating literature. One of the sleeves tightly embraces the container to support the holder thereon.

In the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a sealed container and literature holder assembly where the literature holder is adapted to fit over and be supported by the top of a bottle or other container;

FIG. 2 shows the assembly of FIG. 1 with the seal removed and a portion of the literature holder broken away.

FIG. 3 shows the device of FIGS. 1 and 2 with the parts disassembled.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the instant invention that is adapted to be supported by the neck and shoulder of a container.

FIG. 5 shows the embodiment of FIG. 4 with the seal removed and a portion of the literature holder broken away.

FIG. 6 shows yet another embodiment of the instant invention adapted to be carried on the lower portion of a container adjacent the bottom.

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of a literature holder for use with a twin-pack having two containers packaged together.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the literature holder in FIG. 7.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are plan views of two other twin-pack 3,256,978 Patented June 21, 1966' by rounded shoulder 20. Resilient stopper 22 is fitted within the opening of neck 18. The literature holder indicated generally at 24 is preferably molded from a resilient plastic material to form an inner cylindrical sleeve 26 and a concentric outer sleeve 28, the upper ends of the sleeves being connected by an integral U- shaped portion 30 which closes the upper end of the holder and spaces the sleeves apart so as to form a cavity 32. The lower end of the sleeve 26 is adapted to contact the top of stopper 22 and the lower end of outer sleeve 28' extends downward at 35 substantially past the lower end of sleeve 26. The lower end of the holder is open to permit insertion of literature or circulars 34 into cavity 32. Outer sleeve.28 has an inside diameter such that the resilient holder will firmly embrace stopper 22 to retain the holder on bottle 14. Extension 35 of the outer sleeve continues downward past the stopper and has an outwardly flared skirt portion 36 at its lower end. This outwardly flared skirt portion 36 facilitates inserting liter ature 34 within the cavity 32 as well as assembling holder 24 over stopper 22. With the double sleeve construction the literature may be'inserted easily into the holder 24-before the holder is placed on the container. After literature holder 24 has been placed on the bottle, a dry-tight band 37 (FIG. 1) may be used to seal the holder to the bottle. Additionally, skirt 36 may be dimensioned so that dry-tight band 37 pulls the skirt 36 into contact with the shoulder 20 to form an attractive package.

In FIGS. 4 and 5 the literature holder is especially adapted for a bottle having screw cap 39 and a wide shoulder 21 between the neck 18 and the body 16. In this embodiment the inside diameter of the inner sleeve 38 will firmly embrace either boss 40 on the neck of the bottle or rounded edge 42 of the bottle cap, whichever has a greater diameter. Outer sleeve 44 may be provided with an extension 46 so that the open end of the cavity 32 will be closed when the lower ends of the inner and outer sleeves rest on the wide shoulder 21. Additionally, the outer sleeve 44 may be provided with a skirt similar to skirt 36 in FIGS. 1-3, to engage shoulder 21. As in the modification shown in FIGS. 13 the literature holder may be suitably sealed and held in place by a dry-tight band 37.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 the inner and outer sleeves 47, 48 have substantially the same height so that the upper ends of the sleeves terminate in substantially the same plane. In this embodiment, the inside diameter of inner sleeve 47 is such that it will firmly embrace the side wall of the bottle adjacent the bottom thereof. As shown in FIG. -6 the literature holder may open vertically upward to facilitate removing the literature from the holder as well as preventing the literature from rall- =ing out of the holder. However, with sufliciently bulky literature the cavity could open downwardly and still retain the literature in which case the rounded U-shaped portion 30 would facilitate pushing the bottle within the inner sleeve.

In FIGS. 7-10 the literature holder is designed for packaging two containers in a twin-pack as is common with introductory offers, closely related products, or commodities that require separate containers but are used together. In the embodiments illustrated in FIGS.

7-10 the holder comprises an outer sleeve 49 and two inner sleeves 50, 51 spaced apart side by side and connected to the outer sleeve by an end wall 52 which forms an extended cavity 53 around both bottles for receiving a piece of bulky literature 34. The inner sleeves 50, 51 are shaped to correspond with the cross-sectional shape of the bottles or other containers with which the holder is designed to be used. Thus in the holder illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 inner sleeves 50, 51 are both circular in shape to accommodate two bottles of circular cross sections. In the holder of FIG. 9 sleeve 51 is of rectangular and sleeve 50 is of round cross section to accommodate one round bottle and a second bottle of rectangular cross section. In the holder illustrated in FIG. 10 both inner sleeves are of rectangular shape to accommodate two bottles of corresponding rectangular crosssections In each instance the outer sleeve 49 is shaped to encircle both inner sleeves 50, 51. Literature can be arranged in any of the various portions of the cavity or receptacle 53 of the literature holder, for example, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, around the outer peripheral portion.

In FIGS. 11-13 the literature holder is adapted to serve as a twin-packaging device where the two containers or bottles can be held side by side in direct con-tact. In FIGS. 11 and 12 the literature holder has a pear-shape and comprises similarly shaped inner and outer sleeves 54, 55 connected by a rounded end wall 56. FIG. 13 shows a circular holder 57 similar in construction to that shown in FIG. 6 but designed such that it can be distorted to a pear-shape configuration 58, similar to the holder in FIG. 12, to accommodate various combinations of bottles in a twin-pack. As with the literature holder shown in FIG. 6, the cavity or receptacle of the holders shown in FIGS. 7-13 may be positioned to open vertically upward or downward. Whether the cavity opens upward or downward is a matter of choice depending on the bulkiness of the literature and the ease with which the holder can be placed around the bottles.

The literature holder is preferably molded from a suitable resilient plastic material that is sufficiently transparent so that the literature 34 is readable or at least clearly noticeable when it is disposed inside the cavity 32. The material should be sufl'iciently stiff to retain its shape and firmly embrace the stopper 22, yet sufficiently resilient so as to be capable of stretching slightly when placed over the bottle or cap and distort easily to permit withdrawal of the literature when the holder is disassembled from the bottle. A suitable material is a polyethylene. Excellent results have been obtained with a polyethylene sold commercially as Tenn Eastman #811-A natural.

While the invention has been described primarily in connection with small vials or bottles used for medicines, it will be apparent that such holders are equally adapted for use on large containers, as, for example, gallon bottles and containers other than bottles, such as cans and tubes. The literature holder of this invention can also have many uses outside the medicine field as, for example, with containers used in packaging cosmetics or food.

We claim:

1. In combination, a closed container, a literature holder and literature, said container comprising a bottle and the like having a closure, said literature holder comprising an inner resilient sleeve and an outer resilient sleeve, said inner sleeve fitting within said outer sleeve and one of said sleeves tightly embracing an outer surface portion of said container to support said holder on said container, said sleeves being spaced apart to define a cavity therebetween and means connecting said sleeves together adjacent one end thereof for closing one end of said cavity, the other end of said cavity being open for reception of literature in said cavity, and said literature being in said cavity.

2. A literature holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sleeves comprise spaced concentric cylinders.

3. A literature holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein the outer sleeve has a length greater than the inner sleeve so that the outer sleeve extends beyond the inner sleeve at the open end of said cavity.

4. A literature container as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cavity is continuous throughout the entire periphery of said holder.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein said its end edge adjacent the open end of said cavity abutting said container.

6. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said outer sleeve at said other end thereof comprises an outwardly flared skirt.

7. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said one sleeve is said outer sleeve.

8. The combination set forth in claim 7 wherein said inner sleeve is adapated to contact said container to close said open end on said container and positively retain literature in said cavity.

9. In combination, a closed container such as a bottle or the like and a literature holder comprising an inner resilient sleeve and an outer resilient sleeve, said inner sleeve fitting within said outer sleeve and said sleeves being spaced apart to define a cavity therebetween, means connecting said sleeves together adjacent one end thereof for closing one end of said cavity, the other end of said cavity being open for reception of literature in said cavity, one of said sleeves tightly embracing an exterior surface portion of said container to retain the holder on the container and the other of said sleeves having its end edge adjacent the open end of said cavity abutting an exterior surface portion of said container to close the open end of said cavity to retain literature therein.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 9 further comprising a dry-tight band sealably connecting said holder to said container.

11. The combination set forth in claim 9 wherein said container has a closure and a bottom remote from said closure and said cavity opens in a direction facing said bottom.

12. The combination as set forth in claim 9 wherein said container comprises a neck portion and a body portion connected by a shoulder, said inner-sleeve tightly embracing a peripheral portion of said container and said outer sleeve having its end edge abutting said shoulder.

13. The combination as set forth in claim 12 wherein said inner sleeve has its end edge adjacent the open end of said cavity abutting said shoulder.

14. In combination, a plurality of containers such as bottles or the like and a packaging device for said bottles, said packaging device comprising a resilient outer sleeve and a plurality of resilient inner sleeves, said incuer sleeves being spaced from said outer sleeve to define a cavity therebetween along the periphery of the outer sleeve, and means connecting said outer sleeve to said inner sleeves adjacent one end of said sleeves for closmg one end of said cavity, the other end of said cavity being open to receive literature in said cavity and each of said inner sleeves tightly embracing the outer surface of a respective container.

15. A device for packaging a plurality of containers such as bottles or the like in side by side direct contact, said packaging device comprising a distortable resilient outer sleeve normally having a circular cross section, a distortable resilient inner sleeve normally having a circular cross section, said inner sleeve being concentrically disposed within said outer sleeve and spaced therefrom to define a cavity therebetween, and means extending between said sleeves adajacent one end thereof for closing one end of said cavity, the other end of said cavity being open to receive literature in said cavity whereby said packaging device may be distorted so as to fit around a plurality of adjacently positioned containers and tightly embrace a surface portion of said containers to retain said containers in side by side direct contact.

16. In combination, a plurality of containers such as bottles or the like and a device for packaging said containers in side by side direct contact, said packaging device comprising a resilient outer sleeve, a resilient inner sleeve, said inner sleeve being disposed within said outer sleeve and spaced therefrom to define a cavity therebetween, and means extending between said sleeves adjacent one end thereof for closing said cavity, the other end of said cavity being open to receive literature in said cavity and said inner sleeve fitting around and tightly embracing a surface portion of said containers to retain said containers in side by side direct contact.

17. A literature holder for containers such as bottles and the like comprising a pair of sleeves, said sleeves having difierent peripheral dimensions and being disposed one within the other in spaced apart relation to Y define a cavity therebetween, one of said sleeves being adapted to tightly embrace an outer surface portion of a container for retaining the holder on the container, means extending between said sleeves adajacent one end thereof for closing one end of said cavity throughout a substantial peripheral portion of the outer sleeve, the other end of said cavity being open for reception of literature in said cavity, a third sleeve, said inner sleeve and said third sleeve being disposed side by side within said outer sleeve, said third sleeve being spaced from said outer sleeve to define a second cavity therebetween, and means extending between said third sleeve and said outer sleeve adjacent said one end thereof for closing one end of said second cavity, the other end of said second cavity being open for reception of literature in said second cavity.

18. A literature holder as set forth in claim 17 wherein said first and second cavities are connected to form a continuous cavity around the peripheral portion of said outer sleeve.

19. In combination, a closed container such as a bottle or the like and -a literature'holder comprising an inner resilient sleeve and an outer resilient sleeve, said inner sleeve fitting within said outer sleeve and said sleeves being spaced apart to define a cavity therebetween, means connecting said sleeves together adjacent one end thereof for closing one end of said cavity, the other end of said cavity being open for reception of literature in said' cavity, one of said sleeves tightly embracing a surface portion of said container to retain the holder on the container and the other of said sleeves having its end edge adjacent the open end of said cavity abutting a surface portion of said container to close the open end of said cavity, said closed container including a removable cap, said outer sleeve tightly embracing a peripheral portion of said container, and said inner sleeve having its end edge abutting the top of said cap.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 396,495 1/1889 Johnson 215- 2,299,730 10/1942 Bornstein 21s -100 2,804,103 8/1957 Wall 215 -100 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,105 10/1878 GreatBritain.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

E. I. DRUMMOND, Examiner.

G. R. GARRETT, Assistant Examiner. 

17. A LITERATURE HOLDER FOR CONTAINERS SUCH AS BOTTLES AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A PAIR OF SLEEVES, SAID SLEEVES HAVING DIFFERENT PERIPHERAL DIMENSIONS AND BEING DISPOSED ONE WITHIN THE OTHER IN SPACED APART RELATION TO DEFINE A CAVITY THEREBETWEEN, ONE OF SAID SLEEVES BEING ADAPTED TO TIGHTLY EMBRACE ON OUTER SURFACE PORTION OF A CONTAINER FOR RETAINING THE HOLDER ON THE CONTAINER, MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SLEEVES ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF FOR CLOSING ONE END OF SAID CAVITY THROUGHOUT A SUBSTANTIAL PERIPHERAL PORTION OF THE OUTER SLEEVE, THE OTHER END OF SAID CAVITY BEING OPEN FOR RECEPTION OF LITERATURE IN SAID CAVITY, A THIRD SLEEVE, SAID INNER SLEEVE AND SAID THIRD SLEEVE BEING DISPOSED SIDE BY SIDE WITHIN SAID OUTER SLEEVE, SAID THIRD SLEEVE BEING SPACED FROM SAID OUTER SLEEVE TO DEFINE A SECOND CAVITY THEREBETWEEN, AND MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID THIRD SLEEVE AND SAID OUTER SLEEVE ADJACENT SAID ONE END THEREOF FOR CLOSING ONE END OF SAID SECOND CAVITY, THE OTHER END OF SAID SECOND CAVITY BEING OPEN FOR RECEPTION OF LITERATURE IN SAID SECOND CAVITY. 